In Cologne, Germany, over 20,000 people were evacuated as authorities tackled the defusion of three unexploded WWII bombs discovered during road construction. The city's response, described as the largest since WWII, involved evacuating residents, workers, and hotel guests within a 1,000-meter radius. Officials set up shelters and warned of fines for those refusing to leave. The operation disrupted local transport and closed notable sites, emphasizing the ongoing risks posed by past wartime munitions, with many unexploded bombs still anticipated in urban areas.
"If you refuse, we will escort you from your home - if necessary by force - along with the police," the authorities said.
Disposing of such bombs sometimes entails large-scale precautionary evacuations such as the one on Wednesday, although the city described this as 'the largest operation since the end of World War II.'
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